To start digital TV, high-speed Internet service in Aug
Mega Broadcast is preparing to launch the fastest Internet service in the country. The company, which was licensed by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) in February, has already announced to start Nepal´s first terrestrial digital television service under the “MyTV” brand within August.
According to officials, the company will initially offer Internet package of up to 50 Mbps and gradually upgrade it to 1 Gbps.
Speaking at a media briefing in the capital on Monday, officials of the company said the company was preparing to become the country´s first HD (high definition) content provider.
Officials of the company claim Mega Broadcast is the first Multi-channel Video Distribution and Data Service (MVDDS) operator in the South Asia. MVDDS is a type of television and Internet delivery technology recently licensed for use in the United States by Federation Communications Commission. The technology has been successfully used in several countries such as UAE, Ireland, France, Vietnam, Greenland and Serbia.
Promoters of Mega Broadcast are investing around Rs 950 million for the operation and expansion of the service.
Sharad Adhikari, vice chairman of Mega Broadcast, said the company will launch its services from Kathmandu. It plans to expand the service nationwide by April, 2014. He said customers will get better quality service at affordable rates.
“Our aim is to provide high definition multi-channel digital television and high-speed Internet access to Nepalis at cheaper prices using cutting edge technologies,” Mahendra Kumar Poudel, managing director of Mega Broadcast, said. “We are working on different business plans so that consumers can choose the package as per their requirement by evaluating the price and the speed,” he said.
Officials of the company said MyTV will contribute to the national economy as they will not have to pay fees to satellite transponders like other digital broadcasting systems.
MoIC has licensed Mega Broadcast to carry 100 TV channels. It has allocated 200 MHz frequency in the band of 10.4 GHz to 12.2 GHz to the company.
The company has paid license fee of Rs 25,000 per channel and additional Rs 1.2 million as spectrum fee, according to ministry officials.
Subscribers will need an antenna to receive microwave signals and set top boxes to decode the signals. Likewise, the operator will also have to install towers in the area where it is intending to distribute the service.